The Texas Education Agency has directed every public school district and charter network in the state to halt lessons and campus activities that reference Cesar Chavez.
This is the latest shoe to drop after it was widely acknowledged that the farm-working, socialist folk hero was a sexual predator, accused of raping a minor. The TEA cited “recent horrific and widely acknowledged allegations of sexual abuse” in its release announcing the change.
The guidance aligns with a recent directive from Gov. Greg Abbott instructing state agencies not to observe Cesar Chavez Day in light of the allegations.
Currently, under the Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, students are required to learn about Chavez in multiple grades, including in fifth grade and U.S. history courses.
Districts are now instructed to “eliminate, modify, and otherwise alter any learning activities, individual lessons, and ancillary materials to remove references to Chavez,” even before the State Board of Education completes an ongoing rewrite of the social studies standards.
The guidance emphasizes that some districts rely on TEA and the state’s regional education service centers for curriculum support and offers help with revising lesson plans and materials.
Texas public schools, which are rife with sexual predation, have been receiving increasing focus from lawmakers, who passed House Bill 4623 by State Rep. Mitch Little (R–Lewisville) last year to remove districts’ sovereign immunity from civil liability in sex abuse cases.
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